Drinking trough



- March 3, 1942.- E. ELIASON DRINKING THOUGH Filed May 19, 1941 fave/2 5'07 Elma/ Elias 072 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED" STATES PATENT "OFFICE DRINKING THOUGH Elmer Eliason, Minneapolis, v Application May 19, 1941, serial No. 394,070

' 4 Claims. (01. 119- 78) My present invention relates to drinking troughs and is especially designed to furnish drinking water for chickens or other fowls; but may be used for other analogouspurposes. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices, combinations of devices, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims. Y

In the designing of this water trough it has been my object to'provide such a device that may be quickly adapted for the watering of large chickens or fowls where little chicks are not present, but which may be converted into a watering device for small chicks and, when used for this latter purpose, will prevent the chickens from being drowned while drinking.

.In this improved device the watering trough is provided with a false bottom that may be readily inserted orv removed and which, when applied, will be slightly below the surface of the liquid in the trough and will afford a support and a shallow water supply for the chicks just above the false bottom. The invention also involves certain other improved features, all of which will hereinafter be described and defined in the claims. The trough is equipped with a water supplying device that automatically controls the level of the water in the trough.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a commercial form of the device, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawing: Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing the improved watering trough with the false bottom chicks, it may be slightly embedded in the ground, or inclined embankments a may be thrown up against the sides thereof to enable the chicks to reach the water in the trough.

Water will be supplied to the trough preferably through a supply pipe 1 shown as clamped to one end of the trough by a clamp 8. The

water supply tube'l, atxits lower end and below the surface of the liquid y contained in the trough, has a'laterallybent'end to which is applied a short flexible rubber tube 9 which, when straightened out, will permit the flow of water therethrough and which, when kinked or bent as shown in Fig. 3, will act as a valve and choke or cut oflf the supply of liquid. To automatically straighten and kink the tube 9 according to the altitude of the water, the delivery end of the flexible tube 9 is attached to afloat ID. This float i0 is preferably an air-tight thin sheet metal drum that is located transversely of the trough close to one end thereof, to wit: close to that end to which the clamp 8 is applied. The flexible end of tube 9 is preferably detachably clamped to thecentral portion of the float ID by a device substantially or nearly likethe device disclosed and claimed in my prior Patent No. 2,241,636'of date May 13,1941. This-device involves a spring-acting metallic anchoring bar II that has spring-acting ends l2 that engage the ends of the float I0. At its central portion the bar H has a loop l3 thatquite closely embracesthe delivery end of the flexible tube 9 and thus firmly but adjlustably-holds the tube to said intermediate portion of bar H close to its loop l3.

The float II], is, as stated, located close to one end of the trough. This float is normally covered by a sheet metal platform structure or deck I5 which, at its sides, has downwardly and inwardly turned clamping flanges [6 that are adapted to be readily sprung over the beaded edges ll of the trough. The platform or deck I5 is provided with a depending plate I 8 having horizontally projecting flanges l9.

The false bottom is preferably a thin sheet metal plate 20, one end of which is adapted to rest on the flange I9 of the deck," and on the other end of which false bottom 20 is a downturned flange or end plate 2| that rests upon the bottom of the trough. One edge of the false bottom 20 is shown as provided with a downturnedreinforcing or stiffening flange 22. deck [5 may be provided with holes 23 but even without these holes the water will seek its level above the false bottom, substantially as best shown in Fig. 3. However, these holes afford convenient finger grips for removal of the false bottom.

The-

rotor 24 which, at its ends, has trurmions jour: i

naled in a supporting flange 25 at one end and in a supporting bracket or strap 26 at its other end. The flange 25 is preferably an upturned portion of the deck l5 while the bracket 26 is preferably a metallic strap detachably secured to 7 one end of the trough by a nut-equipped bolt 21. With the above described arrangement, even if the false bottom 20 should be removed, the blade-equipped rotor 24 would hold the deck [5- against sliding movement so that this bladeequipped rotor must be removed to permit. the above sliding movement of the deck. It. is important to note that the supporting flange 25. on the deck I5 is located inwardof the adjacent end wall of the trough so that there is ample clearance for the'water supply tube and'access to the clamp 8.

, The above described device may be made at comparatively small cost, is convenient to use, and highly eflicient for the purposes hadin view- When the device is to be used for watering grown chickens, ducks, or the like, not only the false bottom 20 should be'removed, but the blade-- equipped member or rail 24 should be removed; and in fact, when the device is designed solely for the use of the larger iowls the said elements 2!) and 24 will not be required nor pro- 2. In a device of the kind described, a watercontaining trough provided at one end with a raised deck formed with a depending end plate having a projecting rest flange, and a false bottom removably applied in said trough with one end supported on said rest flange of said deck, said false bottom, at its other end, having a depending flange resting on the bottom of said trough, and in further combination with a Water supplytube extended into said trough at one end thereof and terminating in a flexible tubular delivery section, and a float detachably applied to the latter at the end of the trough immediately under said deck.

3-. In a device of the kind described, a water- .c ntaining, trough provided at one end with a raised deck formed with a depending end plate having' a projecting rest flange, and a false bottom removably applied in said trough with one end supported on said rest flange of said deck, said"false bottom, at its other end, having a depending flange-resting onthe bottom of said trough, and in. further combination with a water supply tube extended into said trough at one end thereof and terminating in a flexible tubulai" delivery section, and a float detachably applied .to the latter at-the end of thev trough immediately under said deck,'said deck, adjacent the end of'said trough to Which said water supply tube is applied, having an upturned supporting flange, said trough, at its other end, having a detachable supporting bracket, and a bladeequipped. rotor journaled to said supporting flange and supporting bracket.

4.. In a device of the. kind described, a watercontaining trough provided at one end with a raised deck formed with a depending end'plate having a projecting rest flange, and a. false bottom removably applied in said trough with one end supported on said rest flange of said deck, said false bottom,': at its other end, having a depending flange resting? on the bottom of said. trough,..and: in which structure saidi false bottom, at one side, has a depending reinfbrcing flange, said deck being slidable on the upper edges of the sides of said trough but held against such sliding movement when. said false. bottom is in 

